Barrika Surf Camp

We had a great time, and Lurta and the staff were nice, but four stars felt right to me. The place is clean, and you can book surf lessons directly there. There’s a small hut for five people, as shown in the picture, plus a much nicer dorm in the main house. It sits on a steep hill by the sea. Plentzia metro station is a 30-minute walk, and the main surf beach at Sopelana is about an hour away on foot. A few things could be better. Breakfast is included, with tea, coffee, white bread, butter, jam, fruit, milk, and corn flakes, but as someone who’s lactose intolerant and not keen on white bread, I didn’t have many options. My friends and I bought extra breakfast food at a supermarket. They say breakfast starts at 8:30, though the bread tends to arrive closer to 9. Meals at Barrika cost €10, which is a good deal, but portions felt small after surfing. It’d also be great if they rented out wetsuits and boards. You can only get those through a surf lesson, and renting gear around the area is surprisingly difficult.

The food was a letdown after surfing. Breakfast wasn't great, and the €10 meals were too small when we were so hungry. They also don't rent out equipment, so you have to take lessons. The classes had around 20 people with just two instructors, which made it hard to get the individual help you need as a beginner trying to improve. We were overbooked and ended up sleeping in a tent for the price of a bed, in really cold weather. Since you're there to surf, getting decent sleep matters, and I slept badly most nights. Between that, having to eat outside the camp, and missing out on good waves because of these limits, the trip didn't work out well for me. I'd strongly suggest a cheap hotel or Airbnb and more affordable, personalized lessons in the area.

Lutra brings such positive energy and shares his love of surfing with you. He welcomes you into his beautiful home and really looks after you, especially with the best food ever. To me, this place feels like a central point for arriving and setting off on your journey.

I'd love to come back one day. Lurta teaches you whatever you want to know about surfing with patience and a smile. Best surf house ever, highly recommended.